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Save the Tomatoes for Packy
Living in the present isn’t easy for Vietnam veteran, Paul Fogarty, especially when the past doesn’t want to die. On his way to Cattaraugus, New York, the hometown of his late ex-girlfriend, to tie up some loose ends, Paul encounters the memories that he couldn’t suppress, no matter how much booze he had back in the day. Along the way, Paul remembers his best friends in the Army—Bobby Ray, a southern enlistee with a profane vernacular and Posie, a quiet, devout Christian from Northern Michigan—and Kathy, the intellectual English teacher he was too afraid to love. Will these memories influence his present course?
198 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 7, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 10, 2021
Save the Tomatoes for Packy is the sad story of Vietnam vet Paul and the series of tragedies that color his life. It is sometimes hard to read as it reflects the confusion of his younger life and how that confusion blends into his older consciousness.
Set in the late 20th century in upstate New York, it takes the reader through Paul's life beginning the jungles of war-torn 1960s to the quiet frozen solitude of a Northern cemetery where Paul learns about compassion and love and the way he misuses them over his lifetime.
It is this journey that gives personal color to the times and events of the era and gives the reader an in-depth look at one of America's darkest chapters through Paul's eyes.
This is not a book one can love, but a story that one must learn from, if for no other reason than to gain an understanding of the toll war takes on the youth and the lives that are affected.
Set in the late 20th century in upstate New York, it takes the reader through Paul's life beginning the jungles of war-torn 1960s to the quiet frozen solitude of a Northern cemetery where Paul learns about compassion and love and the way he misuses them over his lifetime.
It is this journey that gives personal color to the times and events of the era and gives the reader an in-depth look at one of America's darkest chapters through Paul's eyes.
This is not a book one can love, but a story that one must learn from, if for no other reason than to gain an understanding of the toll war takes on the youth and the lives that are affected.
June 19, 2021
This novel, in quite an upbeat, cheerful style, lists many sad, even horrendous events.
It tells the story of a Vietnam veteran looking back at his life and his many mistakes. We move from the present, where Paul, the veteran, is contemplating a grave, to flashbacks of the war and related events. The story is told by Paul in the first person without any self-pity, and it is the almost jaunty telling of the tale that kept me reading. War makes people confront many issues - like the need to face death, and questions of what is worth fighting and dying for. It also perhaps helps us to know what we really want, what and whom we truly love, and what is worth living for. It is the last of these questions that Paul learns to face at the end, despite his traumas. And while I would hesitate to say that the end of the novel is uplifting, we learn to rejoice in the resilience of the human spirit.
A tough but very well-told and worthwhile tale.
It tells the story of a Vietnam veteran looking back at his life and his many mistakes. We move from the present, where Paul, the veteran, is contemplating a grave, to flashbacks of the war and related events. The story is told by Paul in the first person without any self-pity, and it is the almost jaunty telling of the tale that kept me reading. War makes people confront many issues - like the need to face death, and questions of what is worth fighting and dying for. It also perhaps helps us to know what we really want, what and whom we truly love, and what is worth living for. It is the last of these questions that Paul learns to face at the end, despite his traumas. And while I would hesitate to say that the end of the novel is uplifting, we learn to rejoice in the resilience of the human spirit.
A tough but very well-told and worthwhile tale.
August 21, 2024
First thing - Dan is a friend of mine so maybe a little bias here. Second thing, I wanted to give the book 5 stars - I think it's a great story but didn't want to inflate the author's head on his first book :-) There was some confusion on the timeline for me early in the book - what was current, what was recollections - but then the story evolved and the pieces fit. It's a wonderfully heart-warming and poignant story with for me, the most important part is it teaches us a lesson and something to walk away with. For me, that is that what may seem insignificant to you at the time - a minor kindness to a stranger - may in fact be very significant to the stranger so don't take any encounter for granted. Brings back some painful memories of the Vietnam war - I was 16 when it ended so the draft was a dark cloud over friends and relatives. Definitely worth the read.
October 2, 2025
Save the Tomatoes for Packy is a moving and deeply human novel that captures the lingering shadows of war and the unshakable bonds of love and friendship. Daniel A. Doherty Jr. masterfully weaves together past and present, showing how one veteran’s memories of brothers-in-arms and a love left behind shape his journey forward. With vivid characters, raw emotion, and a quiet wisdom, this story explores grief, redemption, and the power of memory. A poignant and unforgettable read that stays with you long after the last page.
March 10, 2021
A Hard Read Because of it's Truth
Save the Tomatoes for Packy is the sad story of Vietnam vet Paul and the series of tragedies that color his life. It is sometimes hard to read as it reflects the confusion of his younger life and how that confusion blends into his older consciousness.
Set in the late 20th century in upstate New York, it takes the reader through Paul's life beginning the jungles of war-torn 1960s to the quiet frozen solitude of a Northern cemetery where Paul learns about compassion and love and the way he misuses them over his lifetime.
It is this journey that gives personal color to the times and events of the era and gives the reader an in-depth look at one of America's darkest chapters through Paul's eyes.
This is not a book one can love, but a story that one must learn from, if for no other reason than to gain an understanding of the toll war takes on the youth and the lives that are affected.
Save the Tomatoes for Packy is the sad story of Vietnam vet Paul and the series of tragedies that color his life. It is sometimes hard to read as it reflects the confusion of his younger life and how that confusion blends into his older consciousness.
Set in the late 20th century in upstate New York, it takes the reader through Paul's life beginning the jungles of war-torn 1960s to the quiet frozen solitude of a Northern cemetery where Paul learns about compassion and love and the way he misuses them over his lifetime.
It is this journey that gives personal color to the times and events of the era and gives the reader an in-depth look at one of America's darkest chapters through Paul's eyes.
This is not a book one can love, but a story that one must learn from, if for no other reason than to gain an understanding of the toll war takes on the youth and the lives that are affected.
November 19, 2021
A deep dive into the world and demons of a Vietnam vet, his friends and the love of his life.
Save the Tomatoes for Packy, by Dan A. Doherty Jr., is Paul's story, told through flashbacks from his early days in the US army, his friends there and how their paths diverged and came back together over time, and Kathy, the love of his life, is gritty and honest, and pulled me right in. The frequently harsh realities of Paul's life, alcoholism, some terrible choices which haunt him, and the consequences of War to his mates, are lightened at points by the author's humor, but the overall flavor of the story is Paul's regret. When it seems that Paul has had enough, and is quite prepared to end it all, he meets an old man named Murphy and the story takes a turn toward an ending, unexpected. This was a good, well told story that did not skimp on tough truths or hard details, with very human characters, and I very much enjoyed reading it.
Save the Tomatoes for Packy, by Dan A. Doherty Jr., is Paul's story, told through flashbacks from his early days in the US army, his friends there and how their paths diverged and came back together over time, and Kathy, the love of his life, is gritty and honest, and pulled me right in. The frequently harsh realities of Paul's life, alcoholism, some terrible choices which haunt him, and the consequences of War to his mates, are lightened at points by the author's humor, but the overall flavor of the story is Paul's regret. When it seems that Paul has had enough, and is quite prepared to end it all, he meets an old man named Murphy and the story takes a turn toward an ending, unexpected. This was a good, well told story that did not skimp on tough truths or hard details, with very human characters, and I very much enjoyed reading it.
May 31, 2021
This realistic novel held my attention from start to finish. With expertly developed characters and a clear and insightful picture of the demons that haunt those who have experienced war first-hand, Save the Tomatoes for Packy is sprinkled with dark humor and powerfully expresses, from a soldier's point of view, the events of the 1960s, a particularly tumultuous era of American history. Highly recommended!
February 22, 2022
Excellent read! The story takes place in areas I grew up which gives a personal connection. Loved the short chapters and style of writing Dan uses. I found it to be quite the emotional roller coaster shedding tears of laughter and sorrow. Reading this book took an emotional toll on me similar to watching the movie “Saving Private Ryan”, riveting.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews